The Benefits of Sugar

Many experts blame the over consumption of sugar as a cause of the obesity epidemic and the cause of many health problems.

They are not talking about the sugar or fructose found naturally in fruits and vegetables which also contain fiber. They are talking about added sugars (known by many different names) found in many processed foods, salad dressings, yogurt, soups, gravies, cereals, soft drinks, refined carbohydrates and even baby formulas. Not to mention the sugar found in cakes, pies, pastries, etc. Soft drinks are also one of the worst offenders. Since some people consume several of these daily.

Simple sugars are dextrose, fructose and glucose. The ingredients may be combined to make more complex sugars. High fructose corn syrup is made from 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.

Back in 1700 the average yearly consumption of sugar per person was 4 pounds. Today many people consume one half pound of sugar per day. The recommended total daily sugar consumption is set at 25 grams per person or approximately 6 teaspoons. Each teaspoon on average contains 4.2 grams of sugar, but this can vary depending on the granulation. Also bear in mind that you are comparing a teaspoon which is a unit of volume with a gram which is a unit of weight.

Our bodies use glucose for energy. However, today this is not the sugar of choice, instead fructose is the chosen one. It is not that the fructose is bad rather it’s the huge amount we ingest.

The metabolizing of fructose is done by the liver. Too much fructose can raise your blood pressure and may cause kidney damage. It may cause you to develop insulin resistance since it does nothing to assist with appetite control and may actually cause you to eat more.

Sugar is said to be a silent killer. It may damage the heart and has been linked to cancer production. It may have a toxic effect on the body similar to alcohol. Excess sugar may play a part in memory deficiencies.

Of course, in addition to everything else too much sugar can make us fat. You can do your body a favor by eating a clean diet using more natural unprocessed foods. After a couple of weeks eliminating excess sugar from your diet you will feel much better, have more energy and be more alert. You will have lost your sugar cravings and you may even have begun to lose some of your sugar fat.